by Ryk Brown
“Yes, sir, they are.”
“Channel shield power to our threatened sides,” Nathan ordered.
“Aye, sir,” the systems officer replied.
“The problem is the military caste,” General Bacca continued, moving closer to the captain and speaking in hushed tones. “They require something to appease their honor. Some sacrifice…something of meaning.”
“Like what?”
“I do not know.” The general’s face lit up with an idea. “Perhaps, if you offered to share your jump drive technology with them?”
Nathan looked at the general in surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Then, what?”
“Battleship is ten seconds out,” Mister Navashee warned. “They are spinning up missiles for launch.”
“Point-defenses, Jess,” Nathan instructed.
“Point-defenses, aye.”
“You must think of something, Captain.”
“Incoming message,” Naralena announced. “The Jung senate is requesting another vid-link.”
“Battleship has launched missiles!” Mister Navashee reported. “Twenty-four inbound. Impact in two minutes.”
“I’m on it,” Jessica assured Nathan.
“Put them up,” Nathan instructed Naralena.
The vid-link appeared on the main view screen again, showing the same scene.
“We are willing to entertain the idea of negotiations,” the woman at the center of the table began, “but we fear the military caste will be difficult to convince.”
“Five down,” Jessica reported, as the Aurora’s point-defense turrets fired away at the incoming missiles.
“Your attack has brought disgrace upon them in the eyes of the other castes. If they are not allowed to seek revenge, to spill Terran blood, the vote to initiate the Tonba-Hon-Venar will end in a tie, in which case the people will decide. The same people whose homes and families your Alliance destroyed.”
“Ten down,” Jessica updated.
“You must think of something,” General Bacca whispered. “They will only be satisfied with blood. Terran blood…the blood of a leader, or a great warrior…”
“Then take mine!” Nathan offered to the Jung senate.
“What?” Jessica exclaimed.
A satisfied smile crept onto General Bacca’s face.
“I am a great warrior of Earth. I command her greatest ship, and I alone ordered the launch of the weapon that destroyed Zhu-Anok, and killed millions of people on Nor-Patri. So if you must spill more Terran blood, spill mine, and let it end here, for both our peoples’ sake!”
“MUTE!” Jessica ordered.
“Muted,” Naralena replied.
“What the hell are you doing, Nathan!”
“I’m saving us all!” Nathan replied. “Mind your console, Lieutenant Commander!” Nathan raised his hands and snapped his fingers, pointing at the view screen.
“You are offering to sacrifice yourself?” the female caste leader asked to clarify.
“I am, if you agree to an immediate cease-fire, and you agree to begin formal negotiations for a lasting peace.”
“All incoming missiles destroyed,” Jessica reported, her voice highly stressed.
“An impressive offer.”
“Are they firing again?” Nathan asked his sensor operator, in hushed tones.
“No, sir. That battleship has not launched any more missiles,” Mister Navashee replied.
“One other thing,” Nathan said to the caste leaders. “I demand a fair trial.”
“Trial?”
“I assume you are charging me with war crimes against the people of the Jung Empire?”
“You shall have your trial.”
“Yeah, right!” Jessica scoffed.
Nathan snapped his fingers.
“Muted,” Naralena reported.
“One more, and I’ll have the Ghatazhak toss you in the brig,” Nathan warned Jessica with absolute conviction. He snapped his fingers again. “Then we have a deal?”
“It will have to be put to a vote. Remain in orbit. We will contact you shortly.”
“Order your ships to stand down. Our destruction will trigger yours,” Nathan warned.
“Understood.”
The video screen disappeared again.
Nathan looked at Mister Navashee. “What are those ships doing?”
Mister Navashee turned back to his console and studied his displays. “The battleship is no longer targeting us, and they have begun their deceleration for orbital insertion. I believe they mean to parallel us.”
Nathan sighed.
“I believe you have just saved both our worlds,” General Bacca congratulated. “Well done, Captain Scott.”
Nathan recognized the sound of gloating when he heard it. “Return this man to his quarters,” he ordered, a look of contempt on his face. Nathan headed aft, toward his ready room. “Remain at general quarters,” he instructed Jessica. “You have the conn.”
* * *
Nathan sat in his ready room, staring at his data pad on the desk in front of him. He had tried several times to write a letter to his father, and to his sisters, but he couldn’t find the words.
He picked up the remote and turned on the view screen on the forward bulkhead above the couch where Jessica loved to stretch out and relax. A few more button presses, and the scene that Captain Roberts had always liked to run on the view screen began to play.
Nathan stared at the video of the view from Captain Robert’s beach house. The waves crashing in the background, the golden retriever running on the beach, the seagulls squawking. He had played this video on many occasions, and it had always made him feel better. But not this time. That’s when Nathan realized. It was not his happiness, it was someone else’s.
Nathan’s happiness was this ship. This crew. This job. He had spent his entire childhood doing what his parents wanted him to do. Even his young adult years had been spent being groomed for something that was not of his choosing. And when he had finally broken free and made his own career choice, he had chosen the one thing that he could possibly think of, that was the complete opposite to what his family had wanted him to do.
Funny thing was, it had worked. He had never been more proud to be a part of something in his entire life. Here, he had made a difference. Here, he had faced challenges and overcome extreme adversity. Here, on this ship, he had become a man.
His ship and his crew meant everything to Nathan, and it seemed only fitting that he would give his life to save not only them, but his entire world, as well as the lives of all the member worlds of the Alliance. His decisions had already saved millions of lives, but also cost millions of others, so in a way, the sacrifice he had offered seemed a fitting punishment.
Of course, there was still a chance…
The intercom buzzer sounded. Nathan pressed the button. “Go ahead.”
“Message from the Jung caste senate,” Naralena said. There was a long pause, as if she was having trouble saying the words. “They have accepted your terms. They are sending a shuttle for you and General Bacca.”
Nathan said nothing, only closed his eyes as the reality set in.
“Sir?”
“Understood,” Nathan replied, his voice broken. He cleared his throat. “Alert flight to expect the shuttle. I’ll meet them on the port hangar deck. Notify Doctor Chen, and call Commander Willard to the bridge.”
“Aye, sir.”
Nathan took in a deep breath, and let it out in a long sigh. He watched Captain Roberts’ video a few more minutes, wondering if he would see another ocean before he died.
Finally, he opened the desk drawer, and picked up the bullet that had killed his brother, Eli…the bullet Nathan himself had fired. He put the bullet in his pocket, rose, and headed for the exit.
Nathan stepped through the hatch from his ready room, onto the bridge.
“Captain on the bridge!” the guard barked.
Nathan looked about at his staff, each
of them already standing at attention. Commander Willard was standing next to the tactical station. Nathan stepped up to him. “As soon as I’m gone, jump away and head home. Let the admiral deal with the negotiations. You just get everyone safely back to Sol.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The ship is yours, Commander. Take good care of her, and take good care of her crew.”
Commander Willard stared into his captain’s eyes, unsure of what to say. “I don’t think I’m ready,” he admitted in a quiet voice.
“You’re more ready than I was,” Nathan reassured him. “You’ll do fine.” Nathan shook Commander Willard’s hand, then turned to Jessica. She threw her arms around him, holding him tight, like she would never let him go. “You’ll never know how important you are to me,” she whispered in his ear. After another minute, she pulled back slightly, kissed him softly on the cheek, then released him and stepped back, wiping her tears away quickly.
Nathan turned around to face forward, staring at the big, wrap-around, spherical view screen and the image of the Jung homeworld below them. He looked at the faces of his bridge staff. These were the men and women he had fought side by side with. They had counted on him, and he on them, and together they had done great things. And now, they were about to bring peace to the Sol sector.
Nathan took a deep breath, fighting back his emotions. “It has truly been an honor to be your captain. Thank you for all that each of you has done. Without you, I never would have made it this far. No matter what you do with the rest of your lives, because of the things you have done on this ship, you will forever be heroes.”
Nathan turned and headed for the port exit.
“Company, A-ten-SHUN!” Jessica barked. The bridge staff stiffened, coming to attention as commanded. “SA-LUTE!”
Nathan slowly turned back around to find every person on the bridge holding a perfect salute. Nathan came to attention himself, returned the salute, and then left the Aurora’s bridge for the last time.
He walked down the corridor and headed for the ramp. On either side of the corridor were the men and women of the Aurora’s crew…his crew, and they were all standing at attention, their hands at their brow to salute their departing captain. Nathan came to the head of the ramp and found Major Prechitt, the Aurora’s CAG, saluting and standing at attention at the top of the ramp. Nathan wanted to say something to the man, but the major was paying his respects in the way that best conveyed how he felt about his commanding officer. Nathan exchanged glances with the major, saying more in one look than they could with a thousand words.
Nathan headed down the empty ramp, finding the main corridor on the next level down also lined with the members of his crew.
Doctor Chen met him at the bottom of the ramp, a pneumo-ject in hand. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes. “Are you sure about this, sir?”
“I don’t have a choice,” he replied solemnly. He looked straight ahead, preparing himself for the injection.
The doctor pressed the pneumo-ject to Nathan’s neck and pressed the button, emptying its contents into his jugular vein. “I am so sorry,” she whispered.
Nathan looked back down at her. “Thank you for everything, Doctor.”
“Good luck, sir,” she replied softly, stepping back out of his way.
Nathan walked proudly down the corridor, his eyes forward as he headed for the port hangar deck. At the main hatch, he found Josh and Loki, standing on either side of the hatch, both of them assuming the same posture as the rest of the crew.
Nathan smiled. “That uniform never did look right on you, Josh. I also think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you issue a proper salute.” Nathan tipped his head. “I’m honored,” he said, as he returned Josh’s salute.
“I’m probably gonna break out in a rash any second,” Josh cracked, “but it’ll be worth it.”
Nathan smiled as he patted Josh on the shoulder. He then faced Loki, returning his salute as well. “That uniform does look good on you, however.”
“Thank you, sir,” Loki replied quietly. “For everything.”
“I could say the same to both of you.” Nathan took a deep breath. “Clear skies, gentlemen.”
“Same to you, Captain,” Josh replied sadly, as Nathan stepped through the hatch.
Nathan stood just inside the forward end of the port hangar bay. The Jung shuttle was already pulling out of the midship elevator airlock. General Bacca was standing a few meters ahead of him, watching the shuttle as well.
Nathan looked around. Other than the few deck hands who were directing the Jung shuttle, everyone else was standing at attention in honor of their departing captain.
“A touching sign of respect,” General Bacca said.
Nathan looked at the General, barely containing his rage. “As I’m most certainly facing execution sometime in the near future, I have zero to lose by snapping your fucking neck, right here, right now…General. So I suggest you keep your mouth shut until we get on board that shuttle. Is that understood?”
The four Ghatazhak guards assigned to escort General Bacca smiled at Nathan’s remarks. The sergeant then shoved the general in the direction of the waiting shuttle.
Nathan followed the Ghatazhak and the general to the shuttle. Halfway there, he stopped and looked to his right. There, standing in front of the port side hatch, was his friend, Vladimir. He was standing at perfect attention, holding a salute, also struggling to control his emotions. Nathan turned toward his chief engineer, returned his salute, and nodded at him. Nathan turned back toward the Jung shuttle. The Ghatazhak soldiers had released the general and allowed him to board the shuttle, then had taken up positions on either side of the boarding ramp to face Nathan as he approached. In unison, all four of the Ghatazhak soldiers drew their hands up in salute.
Nathan could feel his heart pounding, his temples throbbing, and his breath quickening as he returned their salute. Finally, he turned, walked up the boarding ramp, and disappeared into the Jung shuttle.
Vladimir, the Ghatazhak, and the rest of the deck hands all stood there in silence, as the Jung shuttle raised its boarding ramp, closed its hatch, and began to roll back into the elevator airlock.
“Aurora… Departing,” Naralena’s voice announced over the ship’s loudspeakers.
Thank you for reading this story.
(A review would be greatly appreciated!)
COMING SUMMER 2016
Part II
of
The Frontiers Saga
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